Thermal Barrier for Building Foundation Slab

ABSTRACT

A device for insulating the slab foundation of a building, said device comprising: a generally horizontal insulating section disposed between the slab foundation and a footer of a building, said horizontally disposed insulating section comprising a generally elongated cuboid shape having at least one cutout through which a concrete column is disposed; said prefabricated device further comprising a generally vertical insulating section disposed adjacent to said horizontal insulating section and attached to said building.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/733,188 entitled Thermal Barrier for Building FoundationSlab, by Anthony Hicks.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Art

This invention is related to building construction. More particularly,this invention is an insulation device for slab foundations ofresidential and commercial buildings.

Most residential and smaller commercial buildings in the United Statesare built using standardized building practices. One reason for thisconsistency is a set of uniform building codes that apply across thecountry. Another reason is cost. The techniques used to build homes, forexample, produce reliable structures quickly at relatively low cost.Homes in the United States are generally built using the followingprocedure: grading and site preparation, foundation construction,framing, window and door installation, roofing, siding, electrical,plumbing, HVAC, insulation, drywall, underlayment, trim, and interiors.

One of the first steps in erecting a residential or commercial buildingis constructing a foundation. Houses, for example, are generally builton a crawlspace, basement, or slab foundation.

The slab is the easiest foundation to build. It is a flat concrete padpoured directly on the ground. It takes very little site preparation,very little formwork for the concrete, and very little labor to create.

For a typical slab foundation, a concrete perimeter is embedded in theground around three feet deep. The slab further comprises a four to sixinch thick flat surface atop the embedded perimeter. A layer of gravellies beneath the slab, and a sheet of plastic lies between the concreteand the gravel to keep moisture out. Wire mesh and/or steel reinforcingbars are implanted in the concrete for additional structural integrity.In colder climates, the concrete perimeter has to extend deep enoughinto the ground to remain below the frost line in winter.

Slab foundations work well on level sites in warmer climates. However,in colder climates, where the ground freezes in the winter, use of annon-insulated slab results in cold floors and higher heating costs asheat is lost from the home to the outside.

Slabs lose energy primarily due to heat conducted outward and throughthe perimeter of the slab. Insulating the exterior edge of the slab inmost sections of the country can reduce winter heating bills by 10% to20%. In fact, slab insulation is recommended in many localities by stateenergy codes.

State energy and building codes regarding slab insulation and energysavings are often guided by model codes such as the International EnergyConservation Code (“IECC”). These objectives are generally expressed interms of R-values and U-values.

Thermal conductivity is the rate of thermal conduction through amaterial per unit area per unit thickness per unit temperaturedifferential. The inverse of conductivity is resistivity (or R per unitthickness). Thermal conductance is the rate of heat flux through a unitarea at the installed thickness and any given delta-T.

The R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building andconstruction industry. Under uniform conditions, R-value it is the ratioof the temperature difference across an insulator to the heat flux (heattransfer per unit area) through it. Thus, R-value for any particularmaterial or apparatus is the unit thermal resistance. R-value isexpressed as the thickness of the material divided by the thermalconductivity. For the thermal resistance of an entire section ofmaterial, instead of the unit resistance, divide the unit thermalresistance by the area of the material. A higher the R-value denotes amore effective insulator. U-value is the reciprocal of R-value.

Experimentally, thermal conduction for a particular material is measuredby placing the material in contact between two conducting plates andmeasuring the energy flux required to maintain a certain temperaturegradient. Generally, the R-value of insulation is measured at a steadytemperature, usually about 70° F. with no forced convection.

In the United States, R-value is expressed as h*ft²*° F./Btu, whereh=hours; ft=feet; and ° F.=Fahrenheit temperature. The conversionbetween SI and US units of R-value is 1 h·ft²·° F./Btu=0.176110 K·m²/W.

The IECC for 2012 details recommended R-values and U-values for slabbuilding foundations, as shown in the following table where R-values areminimums and U-values are maximums.

TABLE 1 SLAB FENESTRATION U- R-VALUE & DEPTH CLIMATE ZONE FACTOR(h*ft²*° F./Btu) 1 NR 0 2 0.40 0 3 0.35 0 4 except Marine 0.35 10, 2 ft5 and Marine 4 0.32 10, 2 ft 6 0.32 10, 4 ft 7 and 8 0.32 10, 4 ft

A “climate zone” number is a description of the climate in a particulargeographic area, based on the number of heating days, the number ofcooling days, the amount of precipitation, and other factors in aparticular geographic region. The IEEC tables below show specificclimate zone definitions.

TABLE 2 INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ZONE DEFINITIONS MAJOR CLIMATE TYPEDEFINITIONS Marine (C) Definition - Locations meeting all four criteria:Mean temperature of coldest month between −3° C. (27° F.) and 18° C.(65° F.) Warmest month mean < 22° C. (72° F.) At least four months withmean temperatures over 10° C. (50° F.) Dry season in summer. The monthwith the heaviest precipitation in the cold season has at least threetimes as much precipitation as the month with the least precipitation inthe rest of the year. The code season is October through March in theNorthern Hemisphere and April through September in the SouthernHemisphere. Dry (B) Definition - Locations meeting the followingcriteria: Not Marine and Pin < 0.44 x (TF − 19.5) [Pcm < 2.0 x (TC + 7)in SI units] where: Pin = Annual precipitation in inches (cm) T = Annualmean temperature in ° F. (° C.) Moist (A) Definition - Locations thatare not Marine and not Dry.

TABLE 3 INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ZONE DEFINITIONS ZONE THERMAL CRITERIANUMBER IP Units SI Units 1 9000 < CDD50° F. 5000 < CDD10° C. 2 6300 <CDD50° F. :: 9000 3500 < CDD10° C. :: 5000 3A and 3B 4500 < CDD50° F. ::6300 2500 < CDD10° C. :: 3500 AND AND HDD65° F. :: 5400 HDD18° C. ::3000 4A and 4B CDD50° F. :: 4500 CDD10° C. :: 2500 AND AND HDD65° F. ::5400 HDD18° C. :: 3000   3C HDD65° F. :: 3600 HDD18° C. :: 2000   4C3600 < HDD65° F. :: 5400 2000 < HDD18° C. :: 3000 5 5400 < HDD65° F. ::7200 3000 < HDD18° C. :: 4000 6 7200 < HDD65° F. :: 9000 4000 < HDD18°C. :: 5000 7 9000 < HDD65° F. :: 12600 5000 < HDD18° C. :: 7000 8 12600< HDD65° F. 7000 < HDD18° C.The Building America marine climate corresponds to those portions ofIECC climate zones 3 and 4 located in the “C” moisture category.

Thus, a need exists for a thermal barrier that can be attached to a slabfoundation for residential or commercial buildings to prevent heat lossfrom the building through the slab. Slabs lose energy primarily due toheat conducted outward and through the perimeter of the slab. Insulatingthe exterior edge of the slab in most sections of the country can reducewinter heating bills by 10% to 20%. In fact, slab insulation isrecommended in many localities by the Model Energy Code or state energycodes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,337 discloses an isolation element for the isolationof vibrations and/or heat, which propagate/s in a medium such as soil,as well as the application of isolation element in an isolationarrangement. The isolation element is characterized by a rectangularplate-shaped block with one or several on one or both of the two sidesurfaces attached cushion-shaped bodies. The isolation arrangement ischaracterized by a trench in the ground, in the bottom of the trenchpreferably vertically anchored guide rods placed in a row, in the trenchpoured stabilizing slurry as well as on the guide rods threaded and fromthe bottom of the trench to the orifice and preferably along the wholelength of the trench on top of each other and/or next to each otherstacked isolation elements placed on their edges.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,064 discloses a collapsible spacer for dispositionbetween a form for a concrete foundation member and the underlying soilincludes voids to allow the spacer to deform permanently and occupy areduced volume when upheaving of the soil occurs. The spacer isfabricated from a material, such as expanded polystyrene foam, whosestructural strength is not significantly altered by exposure tomoisture.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,049 discloses a prefabricated building system forthe laying of the foundations for a heated building with a beamstructure above an enclosed, unventilated creep space. The foundationsare constructed from base plates made of concrete, foundation beams madeof concrete with internal cellular plastic, and ventilation grids forventilation. The foundation beams consist of an externally reinforcedhigh concrete slab with thick, cast-on-cellular plastic insulation onthe inside. The creep space can be inspected more easily thanks to theconsiderable height of the foundation beams. The thick cellular plasticinsulation on the foundation beams enables surplus heat to be utilized,so that the laying of the foundations can take place at a reducedfoundation depth. The foundations can be laid using a crane, and can beadapted to the requirements of the project. The invention also relatesto a method and means for the production of elements from which thefoundations can be constructed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,453 discloses a building construction in which afloor story of the building rests on a foundation which, in turn, lieson the ground. An insulated and separate service space is disposedbeneath the floor story of the living accommodation, with room foraccommodating heating, ventilation, and water supply systems as well aselectrical systems. The insulated service space is formed mainly by thefloor story of the building, a ground insulating layer, and asurrounding foundation wall. A gap is provided between the insulatedservice space and the first story with the gap extending along theinside of each foundation wall. A heating source is provided within theservice space and exhausts heated air directly into the service spacewith the heated air flowing upwardly through the gap into the firststory area.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,525 discloses a rigid, thermoplastic foam boarduseful in below-grade residential and commercial insulating and drainageapplications. The board defines a plurality of oriented channelsextending therein along the board. The channel extends into the boardthrough a relatively narrow first opening at the face into a relativelywide first zone. The channel then further extends into the board fromthe first zone through a relatively narrow second opening into a secondzone. The board provides superior water drainage, and protects abelow-grade building wall from excessive moisture. Further disclosed isa method for using the foam board in below-grade applications.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,693 discloses a truss which is premanufactured andshipped to a job site for the construction of supper-insulated buildingswalls has a two-by-four stud which is joined to a two-by-two studpositioned in spaced parallel relation to the first stud to form atwelve inch wide insulation cavity. The two-by-two stud is spaced fromthe two-by-four stud by spacers and is rigidly supported by diagonalcross braces. The braces and spacers are joined to the two-by-four studby truss plates. A foundation, is especially designed to accommodate thewall truss members. The truss has a sill extension 8½ inches wide formedof two-by-twos. The extension extends downwardly from the trussstructure to provide an insulation face across the front of a step inthe foundation. The wall trusses may be manufactured with the sameequipment as utilized in the construction of floor and rafter trussesformed of dimensional two-by-fours. The ability to shop-fabricate thewall trusses using truss plates means that engineered truss members foreach job can be supplied which minimize utilized material while, at thesame time, saving considerable labor over on-site construction.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,172 discloses a rigid polymer foam board suitablefor use in a foundation insulation system. The foam board has a facedefining a plurality of grooves therein which traverse in a crossing,diagonal configuration. The groove configuration facilitates theapplication of insecticides/termiticides in foundation insulationsystems employing rigid foam boards on the exterior of the foundation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,636 discloses a weather block and vent member acrossthe space between the ends of joists resting on a plate having betweenthem an insulation blanket having a vapor barrier adjacent a ceiling onthe bottom of the joists. The member blocks the flow of air towards theend of the vapor barrier and the ceiling and sometimes down past theplate in a wall inside covering and down pass the inside covering andthe vapor barrier on the blanket insulation between the wall studs, andredirects it upwards along the rafters. It also blocks the flow of airacross the plate, to eliminate the Bernoulli Effect thereat which wasoperative to suck the out the air between the wall-stud insulation vaporbarrier and the wall interior covering. The weather block and vent isfield adapted to the parameters of the building and is factory scoredfor easy field adaptation and so that it can be shipped flat fortransportation economies.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,107 discloses a building, particularly in thecontext of a nuclear installation. The building is formed with an outershell and an inner shell which form an intermediate space therebetween.A sealing element is disposed in the intermediate space. The sealingelement is gas tight, it envelopes the inner shell, and it is largelyfreely movable perpendicularly to the surfaces of the shells definingthe intermediate space. Pressure fluctuations, particularly pressurewaves, originating on the inside of the building are received andequalized by the sealing element, while the gas-tightness of the sealingelement is largely assured.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,252 discloses a waterproofing system and method forhydraulic structures which includes rigid sheets of synthetic materialconnected with flexible hinges made of sheets of synthetic material.Mechanical anchoring hold the rigid sheets in place.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,131 discloses an exterior insulation and finishsystem is produced for exterior construction having a primary weatherproofing layer formed by a finish coat and a secondary seal is providedintermediate of the various layers of exterior insulation between asheathing substrate and insulation board. The secondary seal layer alsoserves to adhesively secure the insulation board to the sheathingsubstrate.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,313 discloses a method and apparatus for providing acontrolled environment for storing, producing, growing and/or processingat least one item. The method includes the steps of introducing an iteminto an enclosed storage space separated from an interior of a firstthermal mass layer by a vessel formed of a heat conductive material. Theexterior of the first thermal mass layer is then thermally isolated andthe temperature of the first thermal mass is regulated to control thetemperature in the enclosed storage space.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,887 discloses a geomembrane made from a custom blendof polyethylene copolymers, for protecting waterproofing courses fromimpact and pressure damage of debris resting against the waterproofcourse. A slip sheet configuration reduces surfaces stress due to earthmovement and subsurface cracking thereby maintaining the protectivecourse intact without any effect on the waterproofing layers. Thegeomembrane is available as lightweight rolls which can be easily behandled by one man. The film is installed horizontally in continuoussheets with few adhesive joints. Installation begins by applying a thickbrush coat of the selected waterproofing membrane material (usually arubber coat but may be any waterpoofing material). The film is unrolledalong the wall, held up into position and secured using plasticself-sealing plugs and/or plastic termination bars. Concrete nails areused to attach the self-sealing plugs or termination bar to the wall. Iftermination bar is selected the film is extended up beyond the barapproximately 8″ and folded down over the termination bar afterattachment. Staples into the termination bar can be used to hold thefilm down creating a nicely detailed upper edge.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,496 discloses a circular building structure whichcomprises a plurality of columnar structures, each of which extends froma point below ground level to a desired height above ground level andwall structures positioned between the columnar structures and forming asubstantially circular exterior wall with the columnar structures. Thewall structures and the columnar structures enclose a substantiallycircular inner space. The building structure further includes a centralhub positioned above the inner space. A plurality of trusses forsupporting a roof are provided. Each of the trusses is joined to arespective one of the columnar structures and to the central hub. Theinner space is divided into a perimetric space and an interior space byan interior wall which is concentric with the exterior wall. Theperimetric space, in a preferred construction, is divided by walls intoat least one passageway and a number of rooms. The interior space, in apreferred construction, is left as an undivided space which serves as acommon area for eating, cooking, and other activities.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,811 discloses a method of construction of adamp-proof basement includes disposing a water-permeable palette layeron a bottom surface of the interior of the basement and spaced from anouter wall of the basement, disposing a water-impermeable vent layerover the palette layer, disposing a reinforced-concrete slab on the ventlayer and spaced from the outer wall, and disposing an inner wall at aperiphery of the concrete slab and spaced from the outer wall. Adamp-proof basement construction includes a water-permeable palettelayer, disposed on a bottom surface of the interior of the basement,spaced from an outer wall of the basement. A water-impermeable ventlayer is disposed over the palette layer. A reinforced-concrete slab isdisposed on the vent layer, spaced from the outer wall. An inner wall isdisposed at a periphery of the concrete slab, spaced from the outerwall.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,136 discloses a method for building a floor in astructure, such as a house, is designed to utilize the heat stored inthe earth. The method includes the steps of building a continuousfooting made of concrete on a location that corresponds to the locationof an outer circumferential groundsill that is planned to be builtaround the outer circumference of a structure being built, providing astone layer inside the continuous footing by placing stones to cover allof the area on the planned floor location, placing the outercircumferential groundsill on the continuous footing, placing an insidegroundsill inside the outer circumferential groundsill and across theouter circumferential groundsill so that the inside groundsill can haveits upper edge flush with the upper edge of the outer circumferentialgroundsill, placing concrete for forming an underfloor concrete layeralong the respective upper edges of the outer circumferential groundsilland inside groundsill within the planned floor location and thenflattening the upper surface of the resulting underfloor concrete layer,and placing flooring finish boards or slabs on the flattened surface ofthe underfloor concrete layer after the concrete becomes hardened. Thefloor that is finally obtained is capable of utilizing the heat storedin the earth and the like. The inside groundsill has anchor boltspreviously installed that permit an easy mounting of columns or posts onthe inside groundsill.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,313,891 discloses a system for finishing a concretestructure to increase the amount of useable space in a building. Thefinishing system comprises a plurality of connectable panels. Aninsulation layer is secured to the rear surface of the panels. Theinsulation layer has a generally flat front surface that is secured tothe rear surface of the panels. The insulation layer also provides anuneven rear surface that is positioned adjacent to the existing basementfoundation wall, and a pair of uneven side surfaces. The uneven rear andside surfaces of the insulation layer provide a plurality of grooves ordimples that allow moisture and air to move freely between the wallstructure and the insulation layer. The panels and insulation layer aremounted to the existing wall structure by mounting brackets.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,407,004 discloses a structure utilizing geothermalenergy capable of effectively utilizing a thermal energy in anunderground constant temperature layer while using a supplementaryheater and an air conditioner and natural energies such as solar heat orsolar light, wind power, and water power in order to prevent limitedfossil energies such as petroleum, gases, and coal from being exhausted,wherein an insulating wall (A) formed of a plurality of insulationpanels (1) connected to each other and extending from a ground surface(4) to the underground constant temperature layer (21) is buried in theground while surrounding a building (22) adhesively to the groundexposed portion and the underground buried portion of a foundation (5).

U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,271 discloses a system for forming an insulatingvapor barrier in a building is especially suited for forming aninsulating vapor barrier in a crawl space beneath a building. The systemincludes a series of separate vapor barrier panels that can be attachedaround a wall. A ground level vapor barrier can be sealed to theinsulating vapor barrier panels, which can be sealed to each other andalong a top edge to the wall. The individual vapor barrier panelsinclude an insulating foam member with a vapor resistant liner laminatedthereto and extending beyond the edges of the insulating foam member toprovide space for securing and sealing multiple vapor barrier panels toform a continuous insulating vapor barrier. Mechanical or hook and loopfasteners can be provided to secure the top edges of the vapor barrierliners to the wall and bottom edges to a ground liner.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,801 discloses a material and method for insulatingand providing a drainage path for a foundation wall includes a non-woventhermoplastic board being for insulating and providing a drainage pathfor a foundation wall. The non-woven thermoplastic board has a thermalresistance of an R-value per inch thickness of at least 1. The non-woventhermoplastic board also has a vertical drainage ability per inchthickness of at least 135 Gallons/Hour/Lineal-Foot/inch at a pressure of500 pounds per square foot (psf).

U.S. Pat. No. 7,966,780 discloses a wall structure for absorbing ortransferring heat from or to the ground, the wall structure comprising afooting for the wall structure disposed in the ground below gradeextending in the longitudinal direction of the wall structure, avertical wall supported on and extending longitudinally in the directionof the footing, the vertical wall extending upwardly from the footingabove grade to a predetermined height, and having upper, lower,interior, exterior and end surfaces, a sheath of insulation forenveloping the vertical wall's upper, end, interior and exteriorsurfaces and thermal conductors disposed in the wall structure to be inthermal communication with one another, at least some of the conductorsextending outwardly from the footing into the ground, the thermalconductors facilitating heat transfer between the ground and thevertical wall.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,144 discloses a slab edge forming and insulatingsystem including edge members and support braces. The edge membersinclude an elongated shell having an upright portion with an insulatedinside surface, an upper portion and a lower portion. Each of the upperand lower portions have formed edges. Open cross sectioned supportbraces having upper and lower formed edges for engaging the formed edgesof the elongated shell are fixed to a footing and connected to the edgemembers. The edge members form and insulate the edges of the pouredconcrete of the slab while the open cross sectioned support bracesreceive the poured concrete of the slab and thus anchor the edge membersto the edge of the slab.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,215,083 discloses a previously formed unitary buildingexterior envelope product is provided, comprising: a mineral fiberinsulation board including a binder having a hydrophobic agent and isresistant to liquid water-penetration and has first and second majorsurfaces, an exterior facing material, which resists air infiltrationand liquid water penetration, laminated to the first major surface, theexterior facing material being permeable to water vapor, and acontinuous interior facing laminated to the second major surface, sothat the second major surface is resistant to liquid water-penetrationand is permeable to water vapor. The section of product is mounted to anexterior side of a plurality of framing members of an exterior wall of abuilding, so that the interior facing faces the framing members. Anexterior layer is mounted to the framing members using a connectiondevice that passes through the section of product, with the facingmaterial facing the exterior layer.

Thus, the prior art does not provide an inexpensive, robust, simple,fully effective thermal barrier that can be attached to a slabfoundation for residential or commercial buildings to prevent heat lossfrom the building through the slab.

SUMMARY

The present invention addresses the unmet need of highly functional slabfoundation insulation.

In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention comprises aprefabricated slab insulation device or installation adjacent the slabfoundation of a building wherein the slab insulation device comprises: asubstrate; a first attachment mechanism disposed at the top of thesubstrate for attaching the insulation apparatus to a building; asheathing attached to the substrate; a reflective layer disposed betweenthe sheathing and the substrate; and a second attachment mechanism forattaching the apparatus to the building, where the second attachmentmechanism is disposed adjacent to one side of the sheathing and againstthe substrate.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may further comprise avinyl substrate, foam sheathing, flexible polyethylene foam gasketingstrip and/or an aluminum reflective layer. Exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention may also comprise a plywood nailing strip forattaching the insulation apparatus to a residential or commercialbuilding slab.

An advantage of the present invention is that once installed the slabinsulation device provides an R-value of at least about 5 inch ofapparatus thickness. Another advantage of the present invention is thatwhen installed it provides a U-value of at most about 0.20 inch ofapparatus thickness. An additional advantage of the present invention isthat when installed it provides a reduction in heat loss through theslab of at least about 20% and as much as over 60%.

In a second exemplary embodiment, the present invention comprises aprefabricated slab insulation device comprising a slab foundation set ona footer, said thermal barrier comprising: a footer insulating member,said footer insulating member disposed horizontally adjacent to the topof a footer, said footer insulating member comprising a generally cuboidshape having: an elongated top side and an elongated bottom side,wherein said bottom side and said top side are parallel; a pair ofgenerally parallel front and rear sides; and at least one verticallyoriented void between said parallel top and bottom portion, said voidsuitable for a structural material to pass through; an interiorinsulating member, said interior insulating member disposed verticallyagainst a vertical wall of the footer, said interior insulating memberextending downward from said footer insulating member, said interiorvertical insulating member generally in physical contact with saidfooter insulating member; and an exterior insulating member, saidexterior insulating member disposed at about the front side of thefooter insulting member, such that: said exterior insulating member isadjacent to the exterior of a building; and such that the exteriorinsulating member extends vertically upward from said footer insulatingmember; and such that said exterior insulating member is generallyparallel to said interior insulating member; and such that said exteriorinsulating member is generally in physical contact with said footerinsulating member.

Advantageously, this second embodiment provides a continuous thermalbarrier at the side of the slab and between the bottom of the slab andthe footer for the foundation.

Again, an advantage of the present invention is that when installed itprovides an R-value of at least about 5 inch of apparatus thicknessbetween the slab and ambient conditions. A second advantage of thepresent invention is that when installed it provides a U-value of atmost about 0.20 inch of apparatus thickness between the slab and ambientconditions. An additional advantage of the present invention is thatwhen installed it provides a reduction in heat loss through the top orbottom perimeter of the slab.

These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawingsand the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood more fully from the detaileddescription given hereinafter and from the accompanying drawings ofexemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, the drawingsand descriptions herein should not be taken to limit the invention; theyare for explanation and understanding only.

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a typical monolithic buildingfoundation slab with a prior art insulation system.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a typical non-monolithic buildingfoundation slab with a prior art insulation system.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a slab insulation device accordingto a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of non-monolithic building foundationslab with the slab insulation device of FIG. 3 attached to a buildinghaving a slab.

FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of a building foundation slab withan attached slab insulation device according to a second embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a footer insulation member according to a secondembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an installed footer insulation memberaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view of an embodiment of a footer insulation memberaccording to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a top view of a wall section of a footer insulation memberaccording to the embodiment of the present invention that is shown inFIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a corner section of a footer insulation memberaccording to the embodiment of the present invention that is shown inFIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 12 is another top perspective view of an alternative embodiment ofthe present invention.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several viewsof the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be discussed hereinafter in detail in termsof the preferred embodiment according to the present invention withreference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It will be obvious, however, tothose skilled in the art that the present invention may be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instance, well-known structuresare not shown in detail in order to avoid unnecessary obscuring of thepresent invention.

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the described embodiments or the application anduses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary”or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, orillustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or“illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other implementations.

All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementationsprovided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use theembodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe disclosure, which is defined by the claims. In the presentdescription, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”,“front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relateto the invention as oriented in FIG. 1.

Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed orimplied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background,brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to beunderstood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in theattached drawings, and described in the following specification, aresimply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in theappended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physicalcharacteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not tobe considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a typical monolithic “floating” slabfor the foundation of a residential or commercial building with a priorart insulation system. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical, monolithic,floating slab foundation system comprises a concrete slab; a gravellayer; strength enhancing, preferably steel, reinforcement memberswithin the slab.

As shown in FIG. 1, this prior art system may further comprise a rigidinsulated sheathing disposed against an exterior edge of the slab and aplastic or rubber gasket membrane disposed on the ground facing,exterior wall of the rigid sheathing. The membrane functions to protectthe insulation from damage due to pest infestation or moisture.

Referring still to FIG. 1, an exterior wall of a residential orcommercial building disposed on top of the slab foundation and themembrane is shown. The building wall may have exterior and interiorinsulated sheathing.

One problem with the prior art system shown in FIG. 1 is that a breakexists between the above ground and below ground exterior insulation.Consequently, significant heat can escape the building through the slaband between the two insulation segments. Are these statements accurate?Are there other problems with this type of slab insulation system? Yes

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a typical non-monolithic“floating” slab for the foundation of a residential or commercialbuilding with a prior art insulation system. As shown in FIG. 2, atypical, monolithic, floating slab foundation system generally comprisesa concrete slab; a gravel layer; and strength enhancing, steelreinforcement members within the slab.

As shown in FIG. 2, the slab is poured such that it comprises agenerally horizontal top and a plurality of vertical walls disposedaround the perimeter of the horizontal top. The walls are entrenched inground, preferably at a depth of about 3 feet. As further illustrated inFIG. 2, the perimeter of the slab rests on a “footer.” The slab furtherincludes a plurality of reinforcing members disposed vertically withinthe slab. The reinforcing members are oriented such that they cross fromthe perimeter walls of the slab into and through the horizontal topportion of the slab.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the horizontal top of the slab rests atop alayer of gravel. A polymer membrane is disposed atop the layer ofgravel, and a horizontal layer of foam insulation is disposed betweenthe polymer membrane and the bottom of the horizontal portion of theslab. The foam insulation provides a thermal break for the slab andfunctions as a mechanical expansion joint. The polymer membrane preventsmoisture from damaging the horizontally disposed foam insulation layer.

Referring again to FIG. 2, there is shown a frame around the verticalwalls of the slab. The frame itself has two vertical walls that sandwichthe vertical perimeter walls of the slab as shown in FIG. 2.

As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the exterior walls of a building reston the slab such that they are generally collinear with the perimeterwalls of the slab. The walls of the building generally comprise aninterior drywall layer and an exterior insulated sheathing layer.Referring still to FIG. 2, a polymer membrane is disposed between thebottom of the building exterior walls and the top of the horizontalportion of the slab.

Much like the prior art slab insulation system of FIG. 1, a problem withthe prior art system shown in FIG. 2 is that a break exists between theabove ground and below ground exterior insulation. Consequently,significant heat can escape the building through the slab and betweenthe two insulation segments, as well as through the gap between theexterior wall of the building and the horizontal portion of the slab.

A second problem with the prior art system shown in FIG. 2, is that theinterior flooring in such a system cannot be secured without breaking orcoming loose in the corners such that certain desirable floorings, suchas tile cannot be used. Past methods such as bringing the interior foamto the top of the slab with a beveled edge on the top of the slab havecaused defection between the slab and footer area of slab, separationbetween slab and footer area of slab due to lack of a monolithic pourwith the foam being the barrier.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a cross sectional view of a slabinsulation device according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 3, slab insulation device 1000 generallycomprises a substrate 100, a reflective layer 200, and sheathing layer300.

Referring again to FIG. 3, substrate 100 is comprised of a durable,inexpensive, corrosion resistant material suitable for securelyretaining the remaining elements of slab insulation device 1000.Preferably, substrate 100 is comprised of vinyl. However, those of skillin the art will appreciate that any durable, reasonably structural soundmaterial such as wood, composite, or polymer will suffice. A flexiblepolyethylene foam gasketing strip attached the interior of the of theproduct as it attaches to the slab may also be included.

As further illustrated in FIG. 3, slab insulation device 1000 furthercomprises sheathing layer 300. Sheathing layer 300 preferably comprisesan insulating material such as polyisocyranate with a thickness within arange of from about 1 inch to about 2 inches. As shown in Table 4(below), a thickness of 1 results in an R-value of 5-7. Thus, thethickness of sheathing layer 300 can be increased or decreased toachieve a desired R-value.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that a number of materials maybe used for sheathing layer 300, including extruded foam,polyisocyranurate foam, expanded foam, and insulated foil bubble wrapmaterial or similar material.

Referring again to FIG. 3, a reflective layer 200 may be disposedbetween substrate 100 and sheathing layer 300. Reflective layer 200comprises a material such as aluminum. As further illustrated in FIG. 3,reflective layer 200 may be attached to one side of sheathing layer 300.

Referring still to FIG. 3, in the preferred embodiment, the elements ofslab insulation device 1000 are secured to one another such that theyform a singular device. Although slab insulation device 1000 may be ofany desired size and shape, it is preferable for it to have arectangular shape with a length ranging from about 4 feet to about 8feet.

As shown in FIG. 3, slab insulation device 1000 further preferablycomprises bottom nailing strip 400. Nailing strip 400 is disposed suchthat it attached to substrate 100 and abuts the bottom of insulatedsheathing layer 300. Nailing strip 400, used so that slab insulationdevice 1000 may be nailed to the exterior of a residential or commercialbuilding, comprises a wood or composite material, preferably plywood.

As further illustrated in FIG. 3, slab insulation device 1000 mayfurther comprise top nailing strip 500. Nailing strip 500 preferablycomprises a vertical extension of vinyl substrate 100. Although thepreferred embodiment of slab insulation device 1000 is designed to benailed to the exterior of a building, those of skill in art ofconstruction will appreciate that other securing methods or means aresuitable for attaching slab insulation device 1000 to a building, suchas tacks, screws, adhesives, tape, snap-fit, tab and groove, or acombination of these methods. Additionally, slab insulation device 1000may comprise a final external protective polymer layer (not shown)opposite said substrate 100.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a cross sectional view of slabinsulation device 1000 attached to the exterior of a residentialbuilding having slab foundation. As shown in FIG. 4, slab insulationdevice 1000 is preferably nailed to the exterior of a building such thatbarrier 1000 extends vertically below the horizontal layer of the slabfoundation of the building and below the upper most portion of anyinsulation on the interior of the slab perimeter wall. Thus, heat lossthrough the slab foundation of the building is diminished.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown in FIG. 5, thermal barrier 5000 providescontinuous insulation around the exterior perimeter of the building'sslab foundation and between the slab and the footer. This continuousinsulation (with no thermal break) provides even greater prevention ofheat loss through the slab foundation.

Referring still to FIG. 5, thermal barrier 5000 generally comprises anexterior insulating member 5100, a footer insulating member 5200, and aninterior insulating member 5300. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the abovedescribed insulating members is generally in continuous contact with oneanother and the slab such that there is no air gap between the perimeterof the slab and ambient conditions or between the perimeter of the slaband the footer.

Referring again to FIG. 5, exterior insulating member 5100 of thermalbarrier 5000 preferably comprises an insulating material such asexpanded polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, or extruded polystyrene.

Polyisocyanurate (polyiso for short) foam has the highest R-value perinch (R-6.5 to R-6.8) of any rigid insulation. This type of rigid foamusually comes with a reflective foil facing on both sides, so it canalso serve as a radiant barrier in some applications. Polyiso board ismore expensive than other types of rigid foam. Extruded polystyrene(XPS) rigid foam is usually blue or pink in color, with a smooth plasticsurface. XPS panels typically aren't faced with other material. TheR-value is about 5 per in. This type of rigid foam won't absorb waterlike polyiso and is stronger and more durable than expanded polystyrene,so it's probably the most versatile type of rigid foam. XPS fallsbetween polyiso and expanded polystyrene in price. Expanded polystyrene(EPS) is the least-expensive type of rigid foam and has the lowestR-value (around R-3.8 per in.). It's also more easily damaged than theother types of rigid foam. Dr. Energy Saver Home Services, RigidInsulation Board: R-value Packed into a Rigid Foam Panel, available athttp://www.drenergysaver.com/insulation/insulation-materials/rigid-insulation-board.html(last visited Dec. 27, 2012).

However, persons of ordinary skill in the arts of building constructionor thermal insulation will appreciate that any convenient insulationmaterial will suffice as long as it meets or can be adapted to meet theconfiguration of the present invention and any applicable constructionregulations. Preferably, exterior insulating member 5100 is ofsemi-rigid construction.

As shown in FIG. 5, exterior insulating member 5100 is disposedvertically against and fixedly attached to the exterior of the building.In the preferred embodiment, exterior insulating member 5100 extendsfrom a just above the upper surface of the slab to contact horizontallydisposed footer insulating member 5200. If contact is not achievedbetween exterior insulating member 5100 and footer insulating member5200, any gaps can be filled using known non-rigid insulating materials.

Referring still to FIG. 5, slab insulating device 5000 further comprisesfooter insulating member 5200. Footer insulating member 5200 should beof semi-rigid construction. Footer insulating member 5200 is alsopreferably comprised of an insulating material such as expandedpolystyrene, polyisocyanurate, or extruded polystyrene. However, personsof ordinary skill in the arts of building construction or thermalinsulation will again appreciate that any convenient insulation materialwill suffice as long as it meets or can be adapted to meet theconfiguration of the present invention and any applicable constructionregulations.

Turning now to FIG. 6, there is shown a top view of footer insulatingmember 5200. Footer insulating member 5200 is the second portion ofcontinuous slab insulating device 5000. Footer insulating member 5200 isdisposed horizontally atop the footer between the footer and slab. Asbuilding insulation materials are not weight bearing, footer insulatingmember 5200 further comprises at least one void 5300. Concrete frompouring the slab flows through the at least one void 5300 to form astructural support column or support pier for the slab and building uponthe footer. In the preferred embodiment, voids 5300 comprise a shapeselected from the group consisting of a cylinder, a cuboid, and apolyhedron, and the linear frequency of voids 5300 is about 1 void 5300per 24 inches. Moreover, each void 5300 preferably has a volume of fromabout 3 cubic inches to 11 cubic inches.

As shown in FIG. 6, void 5300 preferably comprises a generallycylindrical shape. However, other extruded geometric planes may be usedsuch that void 5300 comprises a polyhedron, a cuboid, a cylinder, or anydesired shape. Moreover, while void 5300 is shown with one open portion,it will be understood by those of ordinarily skill in the art ofbuilding construction that voids 5300 could be enclosed. It should alsobe understood that the shape of void 5300 generally controls the shapeof the support pier extending therethrough.

Any desired number, shape, and size of void 5300 may be used in thepresent invention. The determination of those parameters is based on thematerial properties of the slab and footer and the desired weight thatthe slab is intended to hold. For example, medium grade concrete holdsabout 4,000 pounds per square inch. As illustrated in FIG. 7, footerinsulating member 5200 works in conjunction with vertically andhorizontally installed rebar through adjacent concrete footer and slab.

A prototype of the above described embodiment of the president inventionwas produced for testing by Home Innovation Research Labs (“HIRL”), anindependent laboratory located at 400 Prince George's Blvd. UpperMarlboro, Md. 20774, to determine the structural safety of using thepresent invention as described herein. In general, the prototypes testedby HIRL were as described herein and shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 of thepresent application.

The voids or cutouts in the footer insulation member of the slabinsulation device provide a path for 3 inch diameter cylindrical supportpiers between the turndown slab and the footer when the concrete slab ispoured. The support piers are nominally spaced at 2 feet on center.

For all test specimens the follow process was used to cast thespecimens. The footer section was cast on May 30, 2013 and the slabsection was cast the following day to simulate typical productionscheduling. No adhesion enhancement was done when casting the cold jointbetween the footer and the slab portion of the test specimen. Commercialready mix concrete specified at 3500 psi (slump <5″) was used for boththe footer and slab portions. A pencil vibrator was used to assist infiling out the forms. Concrete cylinders were cast and tested by a thirdparty testing firm (see report in the appendix). All the test specimenswere allowed to cure for 28 days before testing began.

The support piers need to support not only the dead load and live loadof the building, they also need to resist compression load that mayresult from shear loading on the walls. The worst case combination ofloads is likely to be in a corner. The testing was designed to simulatea worst case corner construction.

Three specimens were constructed. Each specimen had a 3″ diametercircular support pier supporting a 6″×6″ section of a slab turndown. Theturndown was 11.25″ thick. A #3 rebar was placed vertically in thecenter of the support pier and contained a 90 degree bend as if it wereentering the slab.

Cross-Section of Compressive Test Sample

Each test specimen was loaded into Home Innovation Labs's large UTM. Thespecimen was loaded through a 3.5″×3.5″ square steel plate located wherethe bottom plate in typical construction would be located. This locationplaced the load slightly eccentric to the support pier. The compressionload was applied at a rate of 0.0525 inches/minute. This rate wasdetermined by testing concrete cylinders per ASTM C39 and using the samerate as appropriate for that test method. The specimen was loaded untilfailure. In the test, The failure of all three specimens was due tofailure of the slab portion of the specimen due to the slightlyeccentric loading. The table below shows the results of the compressiontesting:

Specimen # Ultimate Load (pounds) 1 53565 2 56312 3 51571 Mean 53816Standard Deviation 2380

For the three shear test specimens that were prepared, a 4 foot longfooter section 10″ wide by 16″ deep was formed and cast with one #3rebar protruding upward where the center of each support pier would becast as part of the slab.

Cross-Section of Shear Specimen

After curing for one day, the thermal barricade foam insulation wasplaced on top of the footer section 2.5″ from the end of the footer. Thetest specimen contained two support piers spaced 2 feet apart with thefirst pier centered 6″ from the end of the footer. A turned down slabsection that began 4″ from the end of the footer measuring 6″ wide by44″ long by 11.25″ deep was cast on top of the Thermal Barricade. Two #4rebars were placed horizontally through the turned down section and ziptied to the vertical #3 rebars protruding from the footer.

A piece of 2×6 nominal lumber was glued to each side of the footer andwere used as lifting points to transfer the specimen in and out of thetest setup. The lumber was not intended to be part of the test nor wasit part of the Thermal Barricade system. Each test specimen was mountedin Home Innovation's shear wall test apparatus. A typical ASTM E72 testset up was used. Per ASTM E72 a hold down structure was used to limituplift as the shear load was applied.

The shear load was applied via a 5″×6″ steel plate placed on the end ofthe slab section. This set up was designed to cause failure at thesupport piers. The load was applied at a rate of 0.1 inches/minute. Eachspecimen was instrumented to record slip and uplift. In order to betterobserve the failure mode as it occurred, the foam Thermal Barricade wasremoved from the third specimen prior to testing.

The shear testing resulted in an initial failure of the support pierfollowed by bending and yielding of the rebar as the displacementcontinued. The table below summarizes the results of the shear testingat the initial failure of the support pier.

Load at initial failure Displacement at initial Specimen # (pounds)failure 1 4100 (see discussion) 0 2 8832 0 3 10467 0 Mean 7800 0Standard Deviation 3307 0

Referring again to FIG. 5, there is shown an internal insulating member5400. Internal insulating member 5400 generally comprises a rectangularor cuboid shape of any desired width, length, and height for use duringhome construction. Internal insulating member 5400 is also preferablycomprised of an insulating material such as expanded polystyrene,polyisocyanurate, or extruded polystyrene. However, persons of ordinaryskill in the arts of building construction or thermal insulation willagain appreciate that any convenient insulation material will suffice aslong as it meets or can be adapted to meet the configuration of thepresent invention and any applicable construction regulations.

As shown in FIG. 5, internal insulating member 5400 is disposed betweenthe “house side” of the footer and the ground. Internal insulatingmember 5400 extends vertically such that it contacts the interior faceof footer insulating member 5200. Internal insulating member 5400preferably further extends vertically to at or near the bottomhorizontal surface of the slab.

Again, as shown in FIG. 5, internal insulating member 5400 shouldcontact the interior wall of footer insulating member 5200 of slabinsulating device 5000. If, during construction, these member do notfully contact, insulating foam may be used to help achieve a contiguousbarrier between the perimeter of the slab and ambient conditions.

Referring briefly to FIGS. 11 and 12, there is shown an alternativeembodiment of the present invention where insulating member 5400 furthercomprises vertical channels 5410. In this embodiment, voids 5300 offooter insulating block 5200 are disposed such that voids 5300 andchannels 5410 are in alignment when the adjacent concrete footer ispoured. In some instances, this arrangement allows concrete to form aplurality of vertical columns more easily using the present invention.

Of course, those of skill in the art will appreciate that each of thecomponents of slab insulating device 5000 may be used independently ifdesired.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a top view of an embodiment of afooter insulating member 6000 according to a third embodiment of thepresent invention. As illustrated in FIG. 8, footer insulating member6000 comprises at least one long wall insulating section 6100. Footerinsulating member 6000 may further comprise at least one cornerinsulating sections 6200.

Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown a top view of wall section 6100of footer insulation member 6000 according to the embodiment of thepresent invention that is shown in FIG. 8. As illustrated in FIG. 9,wall section 6100 of footer insulating member 6000 comprises a pluralityof cut-outs/voids 6110 through which concrete can flow when a slab ispoured over footer insulating member 6000 as described in more detailabove.

Referring now to FIG. 10, there is shown a top view of a corner section6200 of footer insulation member 6000 according to the embodiment of thepresent invention that is shown in FIG. 8. As illustrated in FIG. 10,corner section 6200 of footer insulating member 6000 comprises agenerally cuboid shape having a central bore 6210 through which concretecan flow when a slab is poured over footer insulating member 6000 asdescribed in more detail above.

The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations setforth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Manyvariations, combinations, modifications, or equivalents may besubstituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of theinvention. It should be understood, therefore, that the abovedescription is of an exemplary embodiment of the invention and includedfor illustrative purposes only. The description of the exemplaryembodiment is not meant to be limiting of the invention. A person ofordinary skill in the field of the invention or the relevant technicalart will understand that variations of the invention are included withinthe scope of the claims.

1. A device for insulating the slab foundation of a building, saiddevice comprising: a generally horizontal insulating section disposedbetween the slab foundation and a footer of a building, saidhorizontally disposed insulating section comprising a generallyelongated cuboid shape having at least one cutout through which aconcrete column is disposed; said prefabricated device furthercomprising a generally vertical insulating section disposed adjacent tosaid horizontal insulating section and attached to said building.
 2. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the device is prefabricated and comprises amaterial selected from the group consisting of extruded foam,polyisocyranurate foam, expanded foam, insulated foil bubble wrap, andblown insulation.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the materialcomprises an additive selected from the group consisting of aninsecticide, an herbicide, a fungicide, and a water repellant.
 4. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the vertical insulating section furthercomprises a semi rigid external sheath.
 5. The device of claim 1,further comprising a vertical metal bar disposed through at least onecolumn, where the bar comprises a material selected from the groupconsisting of steel, iron, and metal alloy.
 6. The device of claim 1,further comprising a horizontal metal bar disposed across the devicethrough and perpendicular to the at least one column, where the barcomprises a material selected from the group consisting of steel, iron,and metal alloy.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein each concrete columnis capable of bearing a vertical load of at least about 20,000 pounds.8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device has an R-value of at leastabout 5 per inch of material thickness.
 9. A device for insulating theslab foundation of a building, said device horizontally disposed betweenthe slab foundation and footer of a building, said device comprising agenerally elongated cuboid shape having at least one cutout throughwhich a concrete column is disposed.
 10. The device of claim 9, whereinthe device is prefabricated and comprises a material selected from thegroup consisting of extruded foam, polyisocyranurate foam, expandedfoam, insulated foil bubble wrap, and blown insulation.
 11. The deviceof claim 9, wherein the material comprises an additive selected from thegroup consisting of an insecticide, an herbicide, a fungicide, and waterrepellant.
 12. The device of claim 9, further comprising a verticalmetal bar disposed through at least one column, where the bar comprisesa material selected from the group consisting of steel, iron, and metalalloy.
 13. The device of claim 9, further comprising a horizontal metalbar disposed across the device through and perpendicular to the at leastone column, where the bar comprises a material selected from the groupconsisting of steel, iron, and metal alloy.
 14. The device of claim 9,wherein each concrete column is capable of bearing a vertical load of atleast about 20,000 pounds.
 15. The device of claim 9, wherein the devicehas an R-value of at least about 5 per inch of material thickness.
 16. Amethod of insulating the slab foundation of a building, said methodcomprising the steps of: providing a footer for a building; providing ahorizontally disposed insulating device, said device comprising agenerally elongated cuboid shape having at least one vertically disposedcutout therethrough; pouring a concrete slab foundation for the buildingsuch that structurally supportive columns for the slab are createdthrough the cutouts.
 17. The device of claim 16, wherein the device isprefabricated and comprises a material having an R-value of at leastabout 5 per inch of thickness and wherein the material is selected fromthe group consisting of extruded foam, polyisocyranurate foam, expandedfoam, insulated foil bubble wrap, and blown insulation.
 18. The deviceof claim 16, wherein the material comprises an additive selected fromthe group consisting of an insecticide, an herbicide, a fungicide, andwater repellant.
 19. The device of claim 16, further comprising: avertical metal bar disposed through at least one column; and ahorizontal metal bar disposed across the device through andperpendicular to the at least one column, where the bars comprise amaterial selected from the group consisting of steel, iron, and metalalloy.
 20. The device of claim 16, wherein each concrete column iscapable of bearing a vertical load of at least about 20,000 pounds.